Echinacea plant named ‘Butterfly Kisses’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of  Echinacea purpurea , ‘Butterfly Kisses’, characterized by its dwarf and compact plant habit, its well-branched strong stems, its floriferous habit, and its anemone-type composite inflorescences with ray florets that light red-purple and disk florets that are deeper red-purple.

Botanical classification: Echinacea purpurea.

Variety denomination: ‘Butterfly Kisses’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofEchinacea purpurea and will be referred to hereafter by its cultivarname, ‘Butterfly Kisses’. ‘Butterfly Kisses’ represents a newconeflower, an herbaceous perennial grown for landscape use.

The new cultivar arose from an ongoing breeding program of theInventor's in Zuidwolde, The Netherlands. The objective of the breedingprogram is to develop new cultivars of anemone type Echinacea with verycompact plant habits. The new cultivar arose from open pollination of anunnamed plant from the Inventor's breeding, designated as Ec 637-01, insummer of 2007. The male parent is unknown. ‘Butterfly Kisses’ wasselected as a single unique plant from the resulting seedlings in Julyof 2009.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar was first accomplished by invitro propagation in Heerhugowaard, The Netherlands in April of 2010under the direction of the Inventor. The characteristics of thiscultivar have been determined to be stable and are reproduced true totype in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent thecharacteristics of the new cultivar. These attributes in combinationdistinguish ‘Butterfly Kisses’ as a unique cultivar of Echinacea.

-   -   1. ‘Butterfly Kisses’ exhibits a dwarf and compact plant habit.    -   2. ‘Butterfly Kisses’ exhibits well-branched strong stems.    -   3. ‘Butterfly Kisses’ exhibits anemone-type composite        inflorescences.    -   4. ‘Butterfly Kisses’ exhibits inflorescences with ray florets        that light red-purple and disk florets that are deeper        red-purple.    -   5. ‘Butterfly Kisses’ is very floriferous.

The female parent, designated as Ec 637-01, differs from ‘ButterflyKisses’ in having an even more dwarf plant habit, in having weakerstems, and in having less branching. The new cultivar can be mostclosely compared to the cultivars ‘Pink Double Delight’ (U.S. Plant Pat.No. 18,803) and ‘Pink Sorbet’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 18,817). Both aresimilar to ‘Butterfly Kisses’ in having anemone type inflorescences thatare pink in color. ‘Pink Double Delight’ differs from ‘Butterfly Kisses’in having inflorescences with less contrast in color between the ray anddisk florets and in having weaker, taller and less branched stems. ‘PinkSorbet’ differs from ‘Butterfly Kisses’ in having larger flowers and inhaving taller and less branched stems.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The plants in the accompanying photographs depict the characteristics ofa two year-old plant of ‘Butterfly Kisses’ as field grown in Zuidwolde,The Netherlands and placed in a two-gallon container for thephotographs.

The photograph in FIG. 1 provides a side view of a plant of ‘ButterflyKisses’ in bloom.

The photograph in FIG. 2 provides a close-up view of inflorescences of‘Butterfly Kisses’.

The photograph in FIG. 3 provides a close-up view of a leaf of‘Butterfly Kisses’. The colors in the photograph may differ slightlyfrom the color values cited in the detailed botanical description, whichaccurately describe the colors of the new Echinacea.

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

The following is a detailed description of two year-old plants of thenew cultivar as field grown in Zuidwolde, The Netherlands. Plants weregrown under average day temperatures ranging from 16° to 28° C. andaverage night temperatures of 6° to 18° C. The phenotype of the newcultivar may vary with variations in environmental, climatic, andcultural conditions, as it has not been tested under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The color determination is in accordance withThe 2007 R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London,England, except where general color terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   General description:    -   -   Blooming period.—Continuously from mid July to mid-September            in The Netherlands.        -   Plant type.—Herbaceous perennial.        -   Plant habit.—Clump forming, dwarf, compact.        -   Height and spread.—About 50 cm in height and spread.        -   Cold hardiness.—At least to U.S.D.A. Zone 4.        -   Diseases and pests.—No particular resistance or            susceptibility to pests or diseases has been observed.        -   Root description.—Fibrous.        -   Propagation.—Tissue culture preferred.        -   Growth rate.—Moderate, approximately 8 cm per month in the            spring.-   Stem description:    -   -   Shape.—Rounded.        -   Stem color.—144A.        -   Stem size.—Average of 4 mm in diameter and an average of            19.7 cm in height.        -   Stem surface.—Moderately covered with short strigose hairs;            0.5 mm in length, NN155C to NN155D in color.        -   Stem strength.—Very strong.        -   Stem aspect.—Stems grow in an average angle of 15° from the            base (0°=vertical).        -   Stem number.—Average of 2 main stems.        -   Branching.—21 lateral branches per main stem.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Leaf shape.—Narrow ovate.        -   Leaf division.—Simple.        -   Leaf base.—Short attenuate.        -   Leaf apex.—Acute.        -   Leaf venation.—Pinnate, upper surface; 144C, lower surface;            145B to 145C.        -   Leaf margins.—Coarsely and shallow dentate-serrate.        -   Leaf attachment.—Petiolate.        -   Leaf arrangement.—Alternate.        -   Internode length.—An average of 3 cm.        -   Leaf size.—Average of 7.1 cm in length and 2.6 cm in width.        -   Leaf color.—Young upper surface; 137A to 137B, young lower            surface; 138A, mature upper surface; N137A, mature lower            surface; 137C.        -   Leaf surface.—Upper surface and lower surfaces slightly            glossy and moderately covered with very short strigose            hairs; average of 0.3 mm in length and 155D in color.        -   Petioles.—Upper stem leaves nearly sessile, average length            of petioled leaves is 2.4 cm in length, v-shaped petiole is            2.5 mm in height and 2 mm in width, upper and lower surfaces            smooth, upper surface color; 144C, margins N137B to N137C,            lower surface color; 144B, margins N137A.-   Flower description:    -   -   Type.—Terminal capitulum, heterogamous with ray florets            around the head margin and anemone-type disk florets in the            center.        -   Capitulum number.—One terminal capitulum per main stem and            lateral branch.        -   Lastingness of inflorescence.—About 10 days.        -   Capitulum size.—Matures to about 3.8 cm in height and 6.3 cm            in diameter, disk size is 4.5 cm in diameter.        -   Fragrance.—None.        -   Involucral bracts or phyllary.—About 48 arranged in 3            overlapping rows, up to 0.6 cm in length and 2 mm in width,            dull in appearance, cuneate at base, acute apex, ovate in            shape, entire margins moderately covered with short hairs            0.3 mm in length and 155D to in color, upper surface; smooth            143C in color, lower surface smooth and 137C in color.        -   Buds.—Flattened globular in shape with immature ray florets            pointed upright, up to 2 cm in diameter and 2.5 cm in            length, between 137C, immature ray florets 180D, tips 150D.        -   Peduncle.—Strong, straight on top of main (flowering) stem,            average angle of secondary and tertiary peduncles 25°            (0°=straight upright), strong in strength, 144C in color,            moderately covered with short strigose hairs, average length            of 1 mm and 155D in color, terminal peduncle is 11.6 cm in            length and 3 mm in diameter, fourth peduncle is 6.9 cm in            length and 3 mm in diameter, no seventh peduncle.        -   Ray florets.—Rotate, about 13, oblanceolate in shape, about            3 cm in length and 0.7 cm in width, praemorse to cleft apex,            cuneate base, entire margin, moderately drooping in an            average angle of −40°, upper and lower surface texture is            smooth and ribbed lengthways (carinate), color: when opening            upper surface; 61D, when opening lower surface; 59D, tip            145B, when fully opened upper surface; 186C, when fully            opened lower surface; 59D, base and outer tip 146D, fading            to on upper surface; 182C to 182D, fading to on lower            surface; 182D, base and outer tip 146D.        -   Disk flowers (bisexual).—Numerous, about 260, campanulate            with five ray floret-like petals shaped narrow oblong to            narrow lanceolate, upper 30% free, about 1.1 cm in length            and 5 mm in width, entire margin, lower 70% of each disc            floret is fused, free tips acute, upper surface smooth, dull            and slightly velvety in appearance, lower surface smooth and            slightly glossy in appearance, color: upper surface when            opening; 59D, lower surface when opening; 59D, upper surface            when fully opened; 59D, lower surface when fully opened;            185C to 185D.        -   Receptacle.—Triangular in shape, about 0.6 cm in diameter            and 1 cm in height, color is 155C.        -   Receptacle spines.—Average of 260, acicular in shape, acute            apex, attenuate base, smooth and glossy surface, color:            apex; 46A, mid-section; 17A, base; 144B to 144C.-   Reproductive organs (only present in disc florets):    -   -   Gynoecium.—Pistil; 15 mm in length, style; 3 mm in length            and 187D in color, ovary; 157D in color.        -   Androcoecium.—Stamens; 4, filament 2 mm in length and 199D            in color, anther; narrow oblong in shape, 1 mm in length and            164D in color, no pollen detected.        -   Fruit/seed.—No fruit or seed detected to date.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Echinacea plant named‘Butterfly Kisses’ substantially as herein illustrated and described.